Bovington Woman Caught On CCTV Kicking Dog

A Bovington woman has been disqualified from keeping animals for five years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to her dog by kicking him.

Hannah Bennett (7/5/79) of Arras Road, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing suffering by the infliction of a kick to Mace, her Staffordshire bull terrier, on 30 May 2014. She was also given a two-week custodial sentence to be suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80 by Weymouth Magistrates' Court.

CCTV footage showed Bennett outside a shop on High Street in Wool, with Mace following closely behind her. She then turned and appeared to say something to the dog before drawing back her right leg and kicking him so hard that he flew from the raised walkway through railings onto the adjacent car park.

Bennett continued to pull and drag Mace by his collar after being remonstrated with by passers-by, but they eventually managed to get the dog away from her.

Veterinary examinations showed that 13-year-old Mace had tenderness to his abdomen and blood in his urine. However, he recovered after about 10 days and was later signed over to the RSPCA. He remains in our care.

RSPCA inspector Graham Hammond said: "Mace clearly trusted his owner and she abused this trust when she kicked him.

"No animal should have to suffer at the hands of its owner as they are the one person in the world who should be caring for that animal."